[Python-Dev] Encouraging developers

"Martin v. Löwis" martin at v.loewis.de
Tue Mar 6 10:31:50 CET 2007


Phil Thompson schrieb:

>>> 2. Publically identify the core developers and their areas of expertise
>>> and responsibility (ie. which parts of the source tree they "own").
>> I doubt this will help. Much of the code isn't owned by anybody
>> specifically. Those parts that are owned typically find their patches
>> reviewed and committed quickly (e.g. the tar file module, maintained by
>> Lars Gustäbel).
> 
> Doesn't your last sentence completely contradict your first sentence?

No (not sure how you are counting: there are three sentences):
1. Public identification will not help, because:
2. most code isn't in the responsibility of anybody (so publically
    identifying responsibilities would leave most code unassigned), and
3. for the code that has some responsible member, things are already
    fine (so public identification won't improve here)

Maybe you meant to suggest "assign responsibilities to core developers,
then identify them publically"; this is different from merely publically
announcing already-assigned specific responsibilities. The latter won't
work for the reasons discussed; the former won't work because these are
volunteers, you can't assign anything to them.

>>> 4. Acceptance by core developers that only half the "job" is developing
>>> the core - the other half is mentoring potential future core developers.
>> So what do you do with core developers that don't do their job? Fire them?
> 
> Of course not, but this is a cultural issue not a technical one. The first 
> step in changing a culture is to change the expectations.

I think the expectations of the users of Python have to adjust, then.
This is free software, it has its own working principles that people
need to get used to. In essence: if you want change, you need to execute
it your own. Nobody will do it for you.

Regards,
Martin


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